Berkshire Chronicle Reading 07-1919

lCowtGiDor L. E. Q\&8Ich. 1:1>
SoOG"* caadiclaae' at the
tion. aad ~ of ..cbe
Trades ~~ur Council.]
Mr. Quelch writes:.
I
In ,reply to your ill4ltiIY as to my 'vie.s
in regard to the adoption 01 the strike
method of ,securinl( politic" objects, I
wish to say that ID~Yi is thAt it is
on.. , Wron.
it is iIitroduc~
....
If' ~
109 terrorism into poh . al • &us, a
therefore. if persisted in inakes rea ned
discussion impoaaible.
.'
Wrong because it is not de ocratic.
In this country, mth'its democratic in~tutions, it is the e1ectqrs, the
Ity of whom are wau-earners. who deterlUine the kind' of government tbat
exists. If some 0 us think their
have been given t tile wro_g people as
democrats we are a democratli obliged to
abide by the d's' . , To try by
of the minority tc\ ovedhrow
decision is ,t o atte p~ tyranny.
present circumsta es it is no .
true to say that th Government bas
no mandate from
e elector on
,
the Co
miries, but it is
nile to say they were pledgQd
against cODseriptlon~anQ Uuerference
with the internal affairs of Qther nations.
In both these cases their pledges
been broken. If th~ Government
interfered in R\lssia before peace
been signed ,by the Russians there
have been a justification for that
Support of Ker~sky would have prev nted <tM horrors which bave wee been
perpetuated under the Lenin regime. and
would probably have b~ought the war ,to
an end six months earlier.
Bu't intervention 0;" is only proloplfing tho,se
horrors; it has nothing to justify it
WI.

Ih,' .,nd Company as um~
("[(I'd on
German)' ar~
Jl U I l.lta t

,,',-II foullded ,

assumg.,.

GermanT
fl wi th a pdpulalion 01
· milliun~. with mormous,
' 11 coal
.,0.(1 iron.
uru~h r«Xjson to feac
not sev~t' enpugb,
w"! be a Ie wiiliin a '
bh~h
r ~ition.bl' omi' it menace 0 the
w·orld.
When
Sl"S.
against ' the
it is su f5cieot
t to the- ruthless sub':'
("on t."ary to international
... hlCh lhl" Germans at- ~n> ... U'
1010
submission.
rcrnerpb~r
tha t Mel!STS.
n \ ' ISS U,.J :l manirl.>sto
tl li, .... «rt:.rC',

a d .

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t

f

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c~leJS 01 c~~if~~e~~~fi~o \~/n~

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, thai tb .. sympatbr of
Q.r](l, Company with GeJ'oj
• p1!spL'I('ed: , At every",
ntlc ~on BI ('( G~
in this COUllUy.
,consciQu,,1y or un<:
lbtcrests, and it. is not
that the signing ol
verything -,vall done to
accompanied by fresIi'
to use labour fot uaJ)erf('ctl y obvious that
abl .. to ta..L::e care 01 h~
~cult y will /)(" to k~Jl bQ
10 tb.. 1utUfl',
It n5~
herself whethqr in co~
ha~f' so clta.ng-ed Ibat.she
act'mltted to the council 04

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This was a composite resolulion as
agreed upon by the various constituent'
organisations wbo bad submitted amen4ments to tbe original draft. In giving
my ,yi.e~;S'
to the purpose or _ justificati()n of this deci~on it is necessary to
make one or two preliminary observations. ' I went to Southport 00 behalf of
tbe Reading Labour Party with a fult
.sense of responsibility, realising fhat Ibe
Cobference would be called upon to ex ..
press the vi,ews ,of repre~entative ~~u(
on Ole grave lS$UeS of conscrlptlon.
Allied Intervention in Russia, the
Peace, the raising 9 f the blockade, arwI
military interference in Trade Unio.
disputes, etc. I spared no effort t.
verify, or inodify. if need be. my 0"'personal views and those of my col
loeagues in the Reading Labour Party to
dasc.lertain wha t bWas ink the hminds of the
e «:gates and t C wor ers t ey represen~•
ted fro.m all parts of the country. At
Soutbport one could feel tbe pulse of tbe
Labour movement, '\lnd diagnose the
situation from the' vety centre, I did not
I k
h
1ft t
bo
so muc of
~o p at orm or 0
or G
the
speeches
tbe more 'prominent
figures in the body of' the (j;p~lerente
Hall, most of whom were select d by the
cbairm.a n, but rather to the earnest an<{
able 'diScussion~and debates among t
the delegates
0 eame straight fri>Dl
the factories an workshops , the r _
ways and the ines , Outside the Con_
af various meetings and gatler-.
m knots and groups. ordin~k
file delegat4!s were engaged practic-l
nilJbt and day in conversing UPOll
malO issues to be decided, and everYthe chief topic was that of t~e iDl' prospect of ,industrial , ·~j:tion.
cbiefly against tbe Governmenl on the
questioq of m,jlitar)l' intervention
ift
Ru.ia~<1 was not a question as to the .,
orstem
emerits
of Bolsbevismbutor the
at ' It'flvernmeiit,
the
lftDe.ral ' eeling as 1 , probed it ao4
eumin
it inside and oulside the Con~fi!~ was that British Labour is
. y opposed to. furtber inilitary in\erveation. , It is imponant t01 ~
' member
that the vote of 1,893,000 l4I'ains 935,001»
was not exdas.ivelY' on ilie riJ:bt r wron~
of Allied ipterventioD otherwi
I ami
convinced It wonld have been c ried by
.. rq.ucb JlTeater majqrity. if not practic-I ally unammoU51y;' I ~u~ it was on e more I
c trover ia.l quesb( n as to the eed ilK t
combined .political ud industrial actiQll
to give ellett to the decisions reached ~
the Conference, flaving so decided, -the
C(>'ofeience read '
disposed· ' of. 'ani
passed almost
It& unanimity, other
resolutions, inclu ing thaI again$! con ..
sciiption, which
tained similar recommendations to th 'P-arliam'entary Com ...
mittee'Of the Tra e Union Congress.
In my 'oWIl' con ideratiou
this matter

as

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' It demands the removal of the Ce ..
. sorship so that an unbia d pubIjc
opinion may bb formed upon the I su~
involved.
It denounces the aSSistan~iven liT.
' the Allies to r actionary
ie~ l.
, Russia as being a continua 'on 0I the
war in the inter~ts of finan 112a"ta~-,
i m, which aims at the des clido Of
the Russian Socialist Repu ie, alld
being a denial of the rights of pet!wes
to elf-determinati,on,
I
, And it instruc~s -the National Execu ...
tive to consult the P'arliamentary Committee of tlre TradeS Union Conl'IeSlt
wilh a vie1!ll -t~ leffective action being .
f:iken to enforqe tbese demands by the
uhreserved use of their political and
industrial poWer.

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so<:letlesH nalions ' which we have heatd sO" mucb
about aIr these yearS' ff9m members of
the Government,
,
In these ciicumstances it is not. sur. .
h L hAi.P
h' ~ h
al
which
pn mg t at a~, w IC
as
ways
.
stood as the cbavion of ireedo'm and
attention to the UÂ¥j of I f
fair dealing, shovl<t-be - angry at ,the
because' of the attit~d'e of
breaches of pledges apd the subterfuges
ment in abusing itS power'
which are advanj:ed as ' excuses,! Qnd
recci.ved no manIJate. ' The resolution which"1ire ~eing put forward witli no
passed at soutiPOr,t is the logical out- !\Ound reas'bn excep~ the a~parent desire
come oC the D cember election.
'
among the rea<:tionary elements in the
"IT MEA S REVOLUTION OJ
All _.:I ' ,
i
,
,
,'
i~ na~ous to serve thd interests o~
LabO\lr seeks now to use its p61\'er to: c pilalist concession hunters and bl)ndact industrially lJor political purpose, holders, .and the rehabilitation of the
seei ng tbat the Cove=nlcnt refuses ~' Imperialist regime ' in Rus~ia.
To op---made upon it t
these reactl'onarl'es l'S the bounden
respond to t he d emand
cease its war upon the workers of Russia
of ~ Labour men and ocialists,
Hun¥ary, and tbe rising workers' r
Labour Party Conference decided
pubhcs in Eur0l!!l' Upon its own bead
commence a, campaign ag;ainst this
rests Jhe ' respolISJl?lIity ,for the present pledge-breaking Government, ' ud by
~""·o. noow pursued by the Labour move- that means · it will be possibl~' to sho!,
lSe:llr],an
, Wt;, .are ¥\Dg forced to this line bow far ' it ~etains the confidence Qt , tho
actIOn, and
clectors. a.nd on th,e evidence o( the
let tIIeN " no ",••take aIIout It, Utat It democratic will in these matters, thus ob........ .. IItwIutIeft." Of
I "a" tained, will depend what action , the
net a ......... ....-.. I . .". f., Labour
vement. polit.lcal and in~ ~ ~ an ..u.. IMII1 In tIM dus u1ial, ill adopt.
............................t.
'Perhap the Go-rernment, too,
.......~t ....- . ........ " ~~:il shllpe its ction on the sa.me evidence.
." ....
...." 'Tf'MII I~ J not, if t till maiptains its . llresent
on ....
~ ...., reactiona
policy, it must be prepared to
wertl....• see dir~t +r any otber acti~n that
...... all . . . . . . . .
mendsl i\s If to the people.
~~I~!==~a ,:-.~
them
'to p t anend wllether
to this ~ct)on
_
of
lI.1ed,ge
akers;
..... .,
~ .. .. rig,lI" or w bng in t1)e 'abstract,
>,
.wII
..........
: l1li111
. . . . . 1M ..........
Abstractions are lost' sight of, "lind a
.. ...
II"'- •• 1x.... til reasoJW!d araument . goes by the board
III . . . .. .... when the. people are angry 'and' arouied.
.......... of t ............. ,....... Tyrauny bea'~ts t:)ot'anay. '
r'/ .......... for a fuller ani f,....
To put it in another way. the
I" ,
- is~s here. as elsewherej are Playinlr into
Our
electora system ' is wetghted each. other's hands" and if be wron
against us every. -time, and th~ Prime method. the strike methOd. is used in
Minister mus.t be held directly resPQa L regard to these polit~
'cal questions, the re'
mments n- the Government
sible' for 'the course which things are no,!"
t~-ing" We are tre~ing a path whic/!
he equally r
nsible with ·the
h s not hitherlo IÂ¥eQ trod in th is coun ~ anarchists who ar~ mtentionalli trying
t ,and if circumstances of the nature to lead the Labour moyement to a revolu
w ich I have described are continued, cion 1$'y force;- with all the horrors i'l.bert~en I unhe!Â¥tatingly stand by the resolu- ent in sucli revolutions, as 'CXempWie<J 'n
'tion passed at &Outhport.
Already it Russia and elsewhere.
I
has. been an;apged to bold 30 demonstra,-,
The oply hope of a peaceful solutio
tjlany problems confrQnting tb~
tions on the 2Oth tll.nd 2lsl throughout of
the country to fOCus publi<;, attention uPtWay ' is that ·the Government
on the ., Rlissian situation, after wbi h
attempt IX> sQl14l'e its
anything may happen.
Lloyd George
pre-election professions
aDd his' Coupon Government' have' sowp
that the . 1leOOle w'"
, ...... '
tile .....
to, tbe ,i.n~ thlCr ~"ill ~t;~ reflp the wl1i~and intelligently the
..
It r•• _ ........ fMC
wlDd,
I
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~~ic~ the "Constitution
..........
I; .. ' ........ ..
CONSTITUTIONALISM AND THE
proVides.
,. _
-:,....
......~'
, INTERNATIONAL .
II
at
:
TIlese dem'o dstrations will pe lield in Mr, 8en Ru... • .
... till aN. or .t aft1' rate ........... tI,
c6njunction with similar movements of
...,..-r.
till ....... of
. , . . -1.......... .....
the French and Italian Soci111ists. which (Mr. ~n Rus ell i!\' the I;.ecretary ,of the ............
':
R~ding Branch of the National Union
The resolution ad01ited by the Labour
rna)' wtll become the jumping off groJ.!'lid
for the general'1itril!:e here and on the
of. Railway Work~rs, which has some l'arl¥ to which of course, the ~t
-COntinent. ,The exercise 'of tIPs 'means
betboeUnSoa~~sot:hemotfcs~e~~c~:ju~iab!~~
Trade mons are affiliated l"'as
e1fect tha some , means .shouid ~
will ma:ke it impossible for Governments
to ride rougbshod -over sa(red priBcipics
organisers in the 01ll'n,] •
for closer mutual su~rt and -c~
of right an4! justice. 'The more governMr Russell s.a ys:o~ration; alld sp far as it 1 the. iDtenments adopt such an attitude which they
indust1ial s rike migl1t, under tion that the ~\iamentary , Committee
are at present guilty' of, then it 15 brintdrcumstanc s, become necessary, of the Tr!\de U ~n Congress ~ho~call
inS' into operation a means which may
conceive that in the event Qf I'tcuFt,thl~r Its con tItuent orgaDlsatioils to
well sound the d~th knefi to ,. what Jill$
uppressio' it' would be the
the
reSent
cirCuDJsta~,~s.
hil:hertn been kaown' is ' constitutional
of the work rs.
which are vast! ditTerent from UI 00111_
'its foq:ilJn policies are a
It now ., , •....., ditiollS prevaill ,at the Wt g ~al
and a scandal. The Goverilme t
.. .... ..... election . or as ~e anticipated to be the
evidently determined to join hMd$
............ It.. resUlt of the ' reirn to power 'fIf •the prewith the forces ,of internationa\ capital, . . ....... . . . sent G09'el'nmen, I am .whole- eartedly
jgm tQ prevent the workers coming into
. . . ...., ...... ~ in favour of su
a couTse being ta.kea-.
power.
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My reason is. th
,
_ ,
T
been ia
e movemeht long ....... ' .........
...... WIItH .....
I-CllOfJli'n to realise
futility of fr-aming ...... dlil ...
at..... ....
_~_
while smar
under disappoint- tile _ _ ..
....
and tbis is the case to-day with -.n
? III
.........
who advocate the a;eneral strike.
filii
fer . . a,_._
definite ideas oa the rCCQIl.!tilu-- ..
~
..
ip
society on 'social ;lnd ~ln~ratic .......
_ _ un __ 'GUM ..
Ita • ano am not pregared to fOl'ce them .......... ' a
......__••
•
Oll n unwiUirur an<l unready putlllt,
, I am
impressed by the
ken the Labonr :party shakes 011 tbose
s,,-called e~remists or tb6 •
to_day ciDminate its ' p~DCere;!ctionaries, and [
ts I1MI settles down to constratdve
" 2 to 1 .,
ought
it will b«ome an irresistible '~e to
for
of
in Dotit.ics. but to-fby it IS but a: rdex tile
ot 1i11e general un~ttled state lot: • meJl~s '
ideas.
. I I \ j cw
I don't think the workers are pr~ to
, the ~att!l 01 II 8'enenaI ' . - .
"'aye pnwen therrtwb-es' tor lire
~",_..,.t sea. itt aU their di5tDile.lIro~

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I have at the outset to say, that the ph
)Iou have used. tu.: " The st . Co we_ _
for
purpose$ and the LabcMr
," doeS .not convey the eelof the ded ion of '
" The terms ."
the alreaCI,.
vote was taken.! r,d~ectly to AJJied lnte(Ventldn in
and were as follows:Th.is-,Con. ference prot-ts .,. ... ,'nst t
~~ COlltlnued Intervention "by the Allies ..
Russia. whether by force of ms &J
supply of munitions, by nllan al 'u':
sidies, or by. commercial block ad... It
call f
th .
"
- suc~ ~~erv€ntli~:;:ediate ce satiOlI Of

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IDdl1strial.action ~y

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last .das!l
,t~ wDl
be
;;i~~~~JIIIID~~~I!I'~~rela~
nShij,.
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